Your ride today....

[Jefferson Meriwether]

Such lovely weather today I decided to forgo the housework & go for a short 15 mile afternoon spin.

I set out to Mapperton then dropped down into Loscombe, West Milton, past Powerstock to Nettlecombe then down into Loders before going back to Beaminster via Melplash.

T'was mainly country lanes that were either hedged in by high banks or out in open countryside with lovely views across the valleys. The best bit was, hardly any cars about; I saw more cyclists than motorists. My first proper leisure ride in absolute ages and it felt great

 

[nickyboy]

Just an ordinary Peak District loop....with a twist at the end.

Glossop - Chapel en le Frith - Peaslows (more of that later) - Edale - Snake Pass - Glossop

Peaslows is a really hard climb. It has been used for the National Hill Climb in the past. It's quite difficult to find out of the back of Chapel en le Frith but I've climbed it once before so I knew where I was going. There's a downhill run at it with, unfortunately, a sharp bend at the bottom so you can't get a really good run at it. Then, Bang......20% ramp. Made it up that one but it eases off to.....12%. There are a couple of 8% sections but it is, in total, 1.5km @12%. Managed it in about 10 minutes and well pleased to improve my previous time by a minute. Must be getting fitter!

All very normal until I got past the Snake Pass Inn on the climb home. Saw 3 cyclists by the side of the road so shouted to them. Turned out one had a slow puncture but.....no tube between them! They were from London, up for the weekend and were doing a 50 mile loop without tubes, tools....unbelievable. In the Peaks you can be miles from the nearest village so you don't want to get caught out.

I offered my spare tube. Then it turned out the guy had a security nut on his QR that he hadn't brought the tool for. So he couldn't get his wheel off anyway. I pumped up his tyre to full pressure, he gave me the tube back and we parted company. I passed them on the way back to Glossop and they seemed OK.

The irony is that, having almost been riding the last 8 miles back to Glossop with no spare tube, I punctured in Glossop a mile from home. If the guy had kept my tube I'd have had to walk the last mile home

Amazing that cyclists will venture into tough, isolated cycling territory without the means to get home

 

[13 rider]

Today's target was Aprils half century ride in. Out this morning in shorts for the first time this year . Through Cropston out past the golf course then turned for Woodhouse Eaves up Maplewell Rd . Up the main St and left on to Beacon hill . Beacon is the biggest hill near home and to be quite honest I normally avoid it but in May I doing a charity ride which goes up the beacon so I praticing it a bit .Slow grind to the top and down over the crossroads and on to Charley Rd out to Oaks in Charnwood and up the climb to St Bernard's Abbey . Today being the 10 year anivesertiy of my friends passing I rode into the Abbey grounds found a bench and had a few quite moments and enjoyed my snack a pork pie in a nod to @vernon. I think he would not have approved of my shop bought mass produced pie .but a pie is a pie .The moment got a bit surreal when I was joined by a monk in full habit after a quick chat and feeling lifted it back on the bike off down the lively descent of swanimote road and out to Belton and back into Shepshed and back on to Charley Rd retracing my steps back to Beacon crossroads and back past the golf course and left into Swithland through the village back to Rothley ,Cropston and Home 32.9 miles done in lovely conditions and April's half century in the bag

 

[SteveF]

A 57km excursion to Billericay returning via Langdon Hills, a little more lumpy than I normally do (it may not be the Peak District but there are bits of Essex that are not flat!) http://www.strava.com/activities/534379975

Gorgeous out there today, more people on bikes than I could count and the motorists seemed to have acquired some patience, I didn't have any issues at all with other road users.

No photos on this ride as I was happy to just keep the pedals moving and enjoy the cycling and the weather.....

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Usual 30 mile Sunday morning ride with our lass. A bit nippy when we set off, but by the time we had got to Watermead Park it was warming up and by the time we got home it was very warm. Was on 30.4 miles when we got home so I went round the block to nudge it up to 50km

https://www.strava.com/activities/534487391

 

[john59]

A 115 km circuit to complete April's metric century challenge, and the Strava April Grand Fondo. The weather was supposed to warm and dry, it was dry but the air temp was only around 7c. The sun decided to show itself when I got home, typical.

View: https://www.strava.com/activities/534352284/embed/dbb274991045620af1abca9136d149d4802b4417


Delamere Station Cafe.

 

[Racing roadkill]

https://www.strava.com/activities/534567472.

I went up to Fort Nelson, and back, via the steep fast hilly bit by where I live.

This bit of the ride was lovely.

On the flat out 38 odd miles an hour descent, some bloody idiot walked straight out in front of me, despite me shouting very loudly that that might not be a good idea. The resultant crash has left me battered and bruised, and killed my most expensive lid, it's a good job I was wearing it, the dent in it, could have been in my head. Fortunately the bike isn't damaged.
I'm going to hurt a bit tomorrow .
At least I have another thing to add to my 'what have you hit' list. A bloody idiot.

 

[Old jon]

^^^ Ouch ! ! ! Cannot really put a like on that, @Racing roadkill.

A drier start than yesterday, there was some mist about. What I call my brain was failing to think of alternate routes, as ever. So, a gentle tour round the usual bit of Holbeck, round the edge of Leeds centre and up to the Oakwood Clock. There, I bravely turned left, UP the hill to Canal Gardens and turned right just after to a much needed descent to the Ring Road. Followed by another stiff climb to Slaid Hill, from where it is a patchwork of my average rides. But, having got most of the day's climbing done there were some pretty good descents to be enjoyed. Along Wike Ridge there is the drop to Gill Beck, I am getting those bends a bit quicker, and the descent into East Keswick usually lifts the pulse a bit. Turn right on the main road, the A 659 from Harewood brings you to the video.



and then along the A 58 into Wetherby. Some road works were going on by the town hall, so back to the car park by the river for a peaceful munch of lunch. Back on the bike as the sun was emerging from cloud, West Woods Road to Bramham, onto and through Thorner and then two lanes back to the A 58, a rush down Boot Hill as ever and the Oakwood Clock route back home to complete 32.2 enjoyable miles.

 

[Spiderweb]

A quick 20 mile loop from home. Spring in the air, shorts on for the first time this year!

 

[Dave 123]

So now we're up to 8 of us. Once bikes were picked up we rolled out on to the front and joined a running race. We stayed with then before turning off and headed toward the sea. In to the La's Vegas of Alcudia and then through the marsh, we were rolling into a headwind and keeping it at 22mph. From Sa Pobla up to Muro and then turn to Sineu. Quiet roads.

We stopped in Sineu with the rest of the cycling world for some refreshment...

The photo is in Santa Margalida, where we also stopped!

The customary ice cream stop in PP was had!

60 sunny miles!


https://www.strava.com/activities/534604206

 

[Stonechat]

Another Club ride
The website had said Hare Hatch (which is not far) but on the day two groups were formed and I headed off with the longer.
I was a really nice ride with some sections I had not previously ridden.

Through Wraysbury, Datchet and Eton , and Dorney, over the Thames at Maidenhead and along the river there
Crossing the river again at Cookham and through Marlow and Medmenham to Henley
But no stop yet - we had to earn our coffee and cake so onward through Warren Row and to our stop at the new cafe at Velolife
A great place with mechanic on hand too, specialising in cyclists
https://www.facebook.com/velolife.co.uk/info/?tab=overview

Back then through familiar roads , White Waltham and Drift Road, when we got to the Park there were warning notices that it was closed even to bicycles, owing to a Duathlon taking place. Someone decided we could get through (and we did)

I wore leg warmers, so after the coffee stop legs got their first exposure of the year.

56.03 miles @ 16 mph.
1447 feet climbed, there were some good climbs, though not too steep.

https://www.strava.com/activities/534467550

 

[Katherine]

First time at the front!

The leader for the Introductory Salford Cycling Club ride, last night, posted on FB that he couldn't make it. There would be another regular rider at the back but someone was needed at the front. Because I had successfully done a ride last week using the Ride with GPS app using the voice prompts for the turns, I volunteered. However, this morning the app wouldn't open and the only thing that loaded was the cue sheet.
So, 9 of us set off for Dunham, 7 of whom were new, then luckily another rider dropped back from the faster ride to join us. I remembered the way, almost, but I wasn't sure where the cafe stop was, but the other club rider did so that was good.
It was lovely sitting out in the sunshine chatting, which was just as well because their service was extremely slow even though there were very few customers besides us. They seemed rather disorganised . Good cake when it finally came. I won't name them in case it was just a bad day.

37.2 miles. Swinton to join the Salford Cycling Club, Walkden, Astley, Leigh, Culcheth, Glazebrook, Warburton, around Dunham, Partington,
Flixton, Dumplington, Barton, Patricroft, Winton, Worsley Village, home.
Lots of cyclists out today and the roads weren't too busy.

It took me a long time to get used to having no one in front and I regularly checked that people were behind me and they always were! I warned everyone I would slow down on the hills and If they wanted to over take me , they could and then wait at the top/ bottom but the only time they did was over Warburton Bridge so hopefully the pace was ok for them. I think several of them will go on the faster rides next time. Most of them had never ridden with a group before and were a bit unsure when we didn't all get through together at junctions but I think they got the hang of it and they all enjoyed it. It would have been so much easier if I'd had the voice prompts working on my phone in my pocket, especially as I have paid for the version with the voice.

 

[NorthernDave]

Yesterdays ride from me - apologies again for my tardiness...

We initially decided to do the Wiggle Vale Vélo as a challenge to ourselves as a first sportive for our band of three. Then we decided that as we were doing it we might as well ask if anyone would like to sponsor us, raising funds for Ravenscliffe High School and Sports College in Halifax

So, Saturday dawned grey, damp and breezy, with the forecast for more of the same until at least mid-afternoon.

Signed up and on the bikes, we were off to complete the "short" route just after 8am. We set a good average speed over the first few miles and despite the wet weather enjoyed the ride through Murton, Stockton-on-the-Forest, Upper Helmsely and Sand Hutton, letting the racing snakes power past in tightly formed peletons, then down to Stamford Bridge and over the river before heading down towards Pocklington via Fangfoss and Bolton (no, not that one), now with the wind in our faces.
Up towards Millington, then the big climb of the day up into the Wolds alongside Great Givendale. That hill goes on for a bit doesn't it?
"York is supposed to be blooming flat, this is a blooming mountain" exclaimed one unhappy chap as we ground our way up the hill, making sure to get into full KoM mode for the section past the photographer near the top .
Once at the top we took full advantage of the nicely undulating roads, before a quick scoot across the top of Garrowby Hill to continue roughly northward on the Roman Road, dodging the many potholes and now with the wind at our backs and the rain easing off.
A quick descent off the top of the Wolds, before a left turn towards Leavining and a marshal waving a flag to warn of the very quick descent into the village. Blimey, that is a steep hill isn't it? I was full on the brakes down there, with a foot off the pedal like Rossi as I took the right handed corner - and that was with the Swissstop GXP's fitted. Goodness knows what the stock brakes would have been like...
On to Burythorpe and the feed station and the only part of the day that could have been better organised - one single toilet for the whole sportive (really???) and the actual feed station in a field 200 metres up a muddy, rutted and narrow track more suited to MTB's than road bikes. That said, the crew there were excellent and made sure everyone was looked after well. In fact there was probably too much hanging about there...

Anyhow, back on the bikes and down to the road and off again, with a nice fast descent, before getting onto what seemed to be a main road with a series of challenging uphill drags into the wind, before taking a right through Howsham and Bossall, making our way back to Sand Hutton and the other side of the loop through Warthill and Holtby and the final run down to the finish line, where it was medals and protein bars all round
The course had been slightly amended the previous day due to roadworks, so had dropped to 49.2 miles, according to Garmin, so we'd made sure to add a little extra distance on to get through the Imperial Half Century mark.

50.22 miles in a moving time of 4 hrs 4 mins at a average of 12.3 mph and 1,945 ft climbed - not bad at all as one of our group will admit he wasn't fully match fit and the ride was about getting our there and getting everyone round. Even better than that though, we've raised over £600 for charity (see my signature below for more details)

All in a great day, with a great cycling spirit and good humour pretty much all the way round. It might have been our first organised sportive, but it won't be the last.
After sorting ourselves out and stowing the bikes it was a quick scoot up the road back into Murton and the excellent Bay Horse pub for revitalising refreshments before heading for home as the sun came out...

Sadly no ride today due to other commitments, but I have cleaned the bike as it was blooming filthy after yesterdays efforts. And since I was cleaning the road bike, I cleaned the hybrid as well...

 

[fossyant]

Ride 4 since snapping my spine. Did ride 3 of just 5 miles a few days ago to play crazy golf with the kids.

Today I had a potter down the NCN5 from Gronant to Rhyl and back. Just 10 miles. Hard today as there was a strong southerly so cross winds out and back. Quite hard going on soft 2.4 knobblies but happy to report no cyclists passed me. Still slow at 13.2 mph average.

 

[Racing roadkill]

^^^ Ouch ! ! ! Cannot really put a like on that, @Racing roadkill.
.

Cheers. That was the biggest 'off' I've suffered for many years, I am pretty banged up. Never mind, it will stop hurting in a few days.